Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1887-07-03
WHAT DOES KXCOMMTsfCA.
TON MEAN:

The New 10rk hera&d o. June O1
taius \ coIumn and . half editorial On the
subject Of the exconmunication Of Dr.
MeGlynn- The article WA evidently
written with , great deal OF care, for no
one can deny that it il one Of the noss
delicate subjects that an editor can Be
called upon 10 discuss satisfactorily 70.
both sides. The judge IN this case u
o who il placed in = position to decide,
a., for instance, between . brave soldier
who had done vha. his eonvicsiODs
directed him was right, and had thereby
violated the sacred rules laid down BY
his superior officer for him 70 Be guided
by. We give below that portion of the
HeraId's article which re think IL CT in
teress TO Our readers:
Dr.. McGlynn Is rapidly approaching
what il generally considered = very pain
ful experience. The conflict between
him and the head Of the Catholic Church
has excited great public curiosity and
interest. On the one side 10 the decree
Of excommunicasion, which reflects the
Authority Of the Holy See, and On the
other an eloquent and nueh-beloved
priest who de6es that authority and
stands ready 10 take whatever n
quenees may rssal. therefrom.
The subject il worth considering with
some care. Excommunication Is > pen
atty known 20 nearly al races and chimes
It il borrowed from antiquity. The
pagan nations, ~ well As the. Jews, were
familiar with il. Il Ia not uncommon at
the present day among the Moham-
medans, and is imposed in a more or less
severe form by nearly every Christian
sect on the globe.
This is simply ; matter Of course. An
ecclesiastical body, whether Presbyterian,
Episcopslian or Catholic, must have
some means Of eiecsing an offensive per-
son. II cannot avail itself OF the civil
courts in cases Of heresy, bat exercises,
under proper limitations, the right to
dismiss q member who for any reason
initiates against its interests. The pen.
atty may not be formidable, but it at any
rate releases the organization from any
further responsibility COR the words or
influence Of the offender, opens the door
for his exit and publicly proclaims that
it no longer either indorses or trusts him.
For certain causes the ancient Greeks
forbade = person to approach any temple
or to assist at any sacrifice other than
sacred rite. In the gravest instances
the criminal was not permitted TO hold
intercourse even with his own family.
He was under the ban, and therefore
tabooed, SO completely that no one dared
afford him shelter or offer him food, ex-
ceps at his own peril.
There is nc prescribed form of excom.
munication. That depends entirely on
the Judgment of the Pope, who suits his
methods to different contingencies.
Sometimes it is done in public, more often
in private. 1t is probable that in this
case the simple announcement will be
made that DIR. MrGlynn is under ban,
and then the matter will be left to work
out its own results.
Well, there is nothing more to be said.
That is all there is. II DIR. McGlynn
were under grave charges of immortality,
that would be serious. As it is, his sole
crime is the act of disobedience to his
superior and the entertainment of opin.
ions which his church cannot indorse.
The first may result from obstinacy,
which is not a crime; and the second is
the result of his intellectual honesty,
which is a virtue. He is not accused of
w~ickedness, but of too much independ.
ence. He accepts his convictions from
NO one; he makes them himself. He
gives up his convictions at no ones COM
mand; he keeps and defends them. If
he can hold them inside the church, he
is glad; il he must hold them outside
the. church, his answer is fair and square,
swell, then I will CO."